Mind Your Own Business - Hepl!!

[Auricula]

Hi
I am being taken over by this pernicious weed!!
It has invaded a border which is a bit shady and a bit damp, and is choking the primulas etc which are in this spring border.
I have tried breaking up the soil and improving the drainage, adding mulches and even spraying with Roundup!! Nothing seems to work and the weed is getting ever thicker so that when I pull it out by hand I cannot get all the thread roots out.
I am desperate - especially since we have had such a wet winter.
Has anyone got any bright ideas??

[Auricula]

I am still desperate!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rosefriend]

Hi auricula - you don't have the latin name by any chance do you ....I don't you what plant you mean - sorry.

RF

[Auricula]

sorry - the Latin name is soleirolia soleiroli

[Rosefriend]

Ok now I know - my neighbour is going berserk with it - she sprayed as well and it got rid of a fair bit but she is now digging it out bit by bit - quite literally.

Last autumn it had just about taken over most of her garden - thankfully it hasn't got to me yet. Where her garden is dry it isn't so invasive but it is awful stuff - well there are people that love it as ground cover but it does tend to overtake rather.

Hopefully someone else will have some ideas - I am afraid that I can only suggest digging it out where it can't be sprayed.

RF

[Auricula]

Thanks - looks like a hard slog!!

[Plocket]

Oh Auricula I feel for you - my mum and dad had it at their last house and mum just kept regularly spraying the patio to remove it. As you've got it in your border I don't know what to suggest other than digging up the plants, washing the roots, and removing the top layer of soil then replacing it with fresh soil.

[Auricula]

Oh well - it'll keep me fit I suppose!!

[Plocket]

Mmm. Hopefully someone will have a better suggestion Auricula. I seem to remember Monty mentioning it once on GW - I can't remember what he said though

[Chuckles]

Oh dear Aricula sounds like you have your work cut out.

I'd go with Plockets suggestion. However, depending on how big your border is and how many other plants you have in there, could you pot up your plants temporarily,making sure you remove and of the MYOB roots. Then give the border a good dig over and remove as much as you can by hand, then wait for the young shoots to show and spray them. You may be able to control any thats then left in the border better once the bulk is removed. Lots of hard work whatever you do really

[Dutchy]

Yikes poor you.
Ok some suggestions that might help a little.
1 Poor on boiling water they cook and die.
2 Liquid Nitrogen they freeze and die.

There really is nothing for it but get as much out as you can.
( the Nitrogen is a suggestion by a dutch person who calls himself Bob the builder, you have been warned )

The plant can't stand severe frost but that seems to have become a rare commodity.
There is a spray for it but that can only be used in grass as it kills of most normal plants.

You plot is ideal for mind your own business.
You are in for some hard work.

[Auricula]

Thanks....As it has finally stopped raining here ( temporarily) I am off to the front garden to tacke the b****y m.y.p.b.!!!

[Essexgirl]

I wish I could come round and take some off your hands Auricula. Last year I went out and bought several pots of it for my rockery to replace some of mine because a tom cat started spraying it regularly and killed it all off.... Trying to think where you might hire a tom cat from.

[Auricula]

It might come to that Essexgirl!!!